The body of Syrian teenager who was stabbed to death in the UK will be returned home after a campaign raised £15,000 for his family.
The mother of 16-year-old Ahmad Mamdouh Al Ibrahim had requested that his body be laid to rest in Syria, after he was killed on April 3 in Huddersfield, northern England.
Ahmad didn’t get the chance to experience the safety and future he came here hoping for
Maneer Siddique
He had moved to the town in Yorkshire to live with his uncle only two weeks before his death, after living at an immigration centre in Wales.
Ahmad was a “kind and gentle” teenager who had dreams of becoming a doctor, his family has said. He had fled his homeland after being injured by shrapnel during the bombing of Homs.
A fundraising page on the JustGiving website was started by Maneer Siddique, who owns a tailoring business in Huddersfield. He originally asked for £13,000 but the amount raised has passed £15,500.
“Ahmad didn’t get the chance to experience the safety and future he came here hoping for. Helping grant this final wish of his mother is the least we can do,” said Mr Siddique
In his appeal for donations, he said: “Ahmad’s mother has requested that her son be laid to rest in Syria, close to his family, his home, and his roots.”
The appeal was started “with the permission of Ahmad’s uncle, to help cover the costs of repatriating his body to Syria and ensuring he receives a dignified burial surrounded by loved ones”.
Funeral prayers for Ahmad were held at Huddersfield’s Omar mosque last Friday, and were attended by around 500 people. His body will be flown from Heathrow to Damascus next Tuesday evening, accompanied by two relatives, and then taken to Homs for burial.
Alfie Franco, 20, appeared at Leeds Crown Court last week charged with Ahmad’s murder. He was remanded in custody with a trial set for October 2. Officer are working with Ahmad’s family and are investigating the attack, said West Yorkshire Police.
In a statement issued through the force, his family said: “Ahmad fled war-torn Homs, Syria, after being injured in a bombing He chose to come to the UK because he believed in the values of human rights, safety and dignity.
The family added that Ahmad had begun to settle into his new life in the UK with his uncle and was “adjusting to a new language, a new home and a future he was excited to build”.
“Losing him has left an unimaginable emptiness in our hearts,” the statement said. “We never thought that the place he saw as a safe haven would be where his life would end. Our only wish now is to lay him to rest in his homeland, Syria. Thank you for helping us honour his memory.”
Which honey takes your fancy?
Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
South and West: From a Notebook
Joan Didion
Fourth Estate
Match info
Uefa Nations League A Group 4
England 2 (Lingard 78', Kane 85')
Croatia 1 (Kramaric 57')
Man of the match: Harry Kane (England)
Roll of honour 2019-2020
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Hurricanes
Runners up: Bahrain
West Asia Premiership
Winners: Bahrain
Runners up: UAE Premiership
UAE Premiership
}Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes
UAE Division One
Winners: Abu Dhabi Saracens
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes II
UAE Division Two
Winners: Barrelhouse
Runners up: RAK Rugby
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Tailors and retailers miss out on back-to-school rush
Tailors and retailers across the city said it was an ominous start to what is usually a busy season for sales.
With many parents opting to continue home learning for their children, the usual rush to buy school uniforms was muted this year.
“So far we have taken about 70 to 80 orders for items like shirts and trousers,” said Vikram Attrai, manager at Stallion Bespoke Tailors in Dubai.
“Last year in the same period we had about 200 orders and lots of demand.
“We custom fit uniform pieces and use materials such as cotton, wool and cashmere.
“Depending on size, a white shirt with logo is priced at about Dh100 to Dh150 and shorts, trousers, skirts and dresses cost between Dh150 to Dh250 a piece.”
A spokesman for Threads, a uniform shop based in Times Square Centre Dubai, said customer footfall had slowed down dramatically over the past few months.
“Now parents have the option to keep children doing online learning they don’t need uniforms so it has quietened down.”
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
THE BIO
Age: 33
Favourite quote: “If you’re going through hell, keep going” Winston Churchill
Favourite breed of dog: All of them. I can’t possibly pick a favourite.
Favourite place in the UAE: The Stray Dogs Centre in Umm Al Quwain. It sounds predictable, but it honestly is my favourite place to spend time. Surrounded by hundreds of dogs that love you - what could possibly be better than that?
Favourite colour: All the colours that dogs come in
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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